Party line ‘has no place in EU vote’

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TONY BLAIR was accused of being authoritarian yesterday after confirming that ministers would be required to campaign for a “yes” vote in the promised referendum on the European Union constitution.

Urged by the veteran leftwinger Tony Benn to follow the example of the 1975 referendum — on whether Britain should remain in the Common Market — and give ministers the right to campaign on either side, Mr Blair said it would be peculiar for ministers to campaign for a rejection of the constitution that the Government supported.